The present invention relates generally to shrink films, and more particularly to monoaxially oriented shrink films.
Various films and laminates have been proposed for use particularly as label material for the labels of beverage bottles and the like. These films or laminates are preferably monoaxially oriented in order to permit a tight label to be produced around the bottle or vessel, without the undesirable wrinkling and shrinking of the label which would occur with a biaxially oriented film.
The label material ideally possesses several properties making it particularly useful for this end use.
For example, the material should have the required stiffness (i.e. high modulus) to permit the use of the film in a rollstock form to feed toward a clipping means during the manufacture of the label. Lower modulus material would not be useful in such apparatus.
Suitable material should also possess surface properties that allow printing of the label with information such as verbal and graphic trademarks, ingredients, and other information directed to the contents and capacity of the vessel.
It may additionally be desirable to have a film with good optical properties.
Of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,076 issued to Gash wherein a monoaxially oriented polypropylene film may be laminated to a monoaxially oriented high density polyethylene film, said films produced by e.g. tubular blowing.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a thermoplastic film useful in forming labels for vessels such as bottles, cans, and the like.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a label which can be monoaxially oriented.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide such a film with relatively high modulus properties.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a film with good printability.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a film having excellent optical properties.